Moonbeam and God Rays

Shot in and around the French Cote d?Azur off the coast of Saint-Tropez, Jonathan Chritchley?s ?Sails? collection feature historic sailing yachts from around the world. Famous yachts in the collection include the beautiful cutter Moonbeam IV, sailed by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco on their honeymoon, Avel, built in 1896 and named after the wind that blows across the coast of Brittany, and Thendara, built in Scotland in 1937. Jonathan shoots these remarkable boats from both the water in a specially adapted and very fast speed boat, and from the air in a 2 man helicopter. ?Photographing these incredible vessel on the water is like seeing history in front of you. A truly emotional and remarkable experience? he says.

Jonathan Chritchley was born in London and has lived near Biarritz in the south west of France since 1998. Specializing in ocean photography, his fascination for the sea began at the age of 15 after moving to the coastal town of Lymington, a place renowned for sailing in the south of England. His photographs - simple, ethereal, mystical and always monochrome, provide a very unusual perspective of the landscape. Jonathan has exhi-bited his photos around the world, most recently at the famous Harrods in London : he therefore spends a large amount of his time travelling. His photos are based on and around the sea creating very characteristic images with a dramatic atmosphere. Jonathan chooses to work with low light in particular and when the weather conditions are unfavorable, he often uses long exposure to create an almost impressionist view of his subject. Fascinated by the sea and sailing boats, Jonathan tries to perpetuate the beauty and the purety of our fragile environment through his work.www.jonathanchritchley.net